Johann Branner in the Service of Archduchess Maria of Bavaria
Abstract
The aim of this article is to present Johann Branner, chamberlain to Archduchess Maria of Bavaria. However, the text does not focus on his activities at the court in Graz, where he performed the duties of supervisor and guardian of the private chambers and property of the widow of Charles of Styria. Instead, it examines Branner’s diplomatic activities as an informal mediator in the relations between Archduchess Maria and her son-in-law, Sigismund III Vasa. It discusses his mission to Poland in March 1598, intended to maintain correspondence between the Styrian and Polish courts and to preserve close family relations between Maria of Bavaria and Sigismund III after the death of Queen Anna Habsburg. The article reconstructs the actions of the Archduchess’s chamberlain, mainly based on Maria of Bavaria’s correspondence with her son Ferdinand, with the Polish monarch, and with the courtiers of the deceased queen (Ursula Meyerin, Georg Schiechel). It also refers to Branner’s literary output – his notes from his mission to Poland, his travel notes from Spain, and his letters to Archduke Ferdinand of Styria. The preserved source material paints a picture of a versatile and loyal courtier who was able to encrypt his mistress’s correspondence, report on important events at her request, and even carry out diplomatic missions. Johann Branner built his career through constant access to the Archduchess and by proving himself useful. His service was not interrupted by the death of Maria of Bavaria; until the end of his life, he devoted his service to her son, Archduke Ferdinand.
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